ROOTS ROCK | JD McPherson

JD McPherson is one no-nonsense, no-frills rock 'n' roller. Don't get me wrong; I dig the frills — the Chuck Berry duck walk, the Pete Townshend windmill, the Eddie Angel invisible twang, the Wendy O Williams chainsaw, and so on. But sometimes it's nice to see a guitar player bite his lip, lean into his instrument, and wring out some tight, terse, tantalizing twang. McPherson's playing is punchy, powerful, and to the point. With his excellent debut album, "Signs and Signifiers," McPherson rapidly became the roots-rock savior of our time on TV, radio, and stage. It could have something to do with Rochester rat-a-tat rhythmairre Jay Smay tapping on the tubs. Go to this show or regret it for a long, long time.